I am hunting northeast NY on Lake Champlain and was wondering if anyone knows how long the ducks will stay around or be moving through? There seems to be much less birds than a few weeks ago and the guys down south are seeing their arrival. Are there still a lot of birds in canada that make a late puch when their lakes freeze or are they pretty much out and gone til next year? I am told the teal and woodies are the first to leave and I havent seen a woodie for a week and only a small pod of teal yesterday. Have been seeing some gadwall, mallards, and bills still pokin around but not in any numbers. I just dont want it to end

Yea man you'll have brids coming down again. I wouldn't be suprized if more have arrived today. Its colder thatn a well digger's ass right now and the other divers are sure to be movin in. The Whistlers and redheads should be here anyday. As a matter of fact , I'm going for a ride to check out LakeOntario.......Good luck......

How would you approach hunting this time of year....would you stay on the main body of the big lake or hunt the potholes and creeks nearby? Are the birds more apt to stay over the lake as a more direct migration route? The inland spots were hot earlier in the season but they are getting very thin. What im askin is if it would be better to hunt the big lake or keep tryin the small spots?

Well it all depends on the weather. Some of the best puddler spots I know are warm water discharges or water that is moving. The reason is that ducks want water. If everything else is froen, then you pretty much are the only game in town and should do well.

I am a die hard diver hunter and I live foir the late season. Main lakes and rivers are the ticket. I have shot a lot of puddlers coming into my diver set up. Blacks and Mallards........

Basically my advise would be hunt the main lake. You can always have action shooting divers. Heck you might even score a redhead or Canvasback. Those are the best tasting birds by far.......Good luck

Seriously though, ducks will keep coming down long after the seasons end. I've noticed the last couple years that there are still flocks heading south at the end of January. I wish the season ended a month later than it actually does. I have a couple spots on moving water that don't freeze either at all, or until really late in the season. If your hunting spot has open water, the ducks will go to it. Also, if migrating ducks are coming heavy into a spot early in the season, then the later ducks should as well. Of coarse ducks don't always do what they're supposed to. Ducks fly in waves ahead of cold fronts. New ducks should be coming in all season.

I agree with Clutch and Matt more birds will be coming through, take the time and scout, Scouting can make all the difference from a so so day to a great day. Keep in mind the number one rule in duck hunting, "set up where the ducks want to be, not where you want them to be" Goog luck

"As long as there are Flyways and their coming our way, you'll find us right here"